Dictating apparatus



June 20, 1967 J C LONG DICTATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept.22, 196.5

INVENTOR.

JOHN 6. LONG ATTORNEYS June 20, 1967 J. c. LONG 3,326,188

DICTATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 22, 1965 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORJOHN 6. LONG United States Patent 3,326,188 DICTATING APPARATUS John C.Long, 90 Broad St., Charleston, SC. 29401 Filed Sept. 22, 1965, Ser. No.489,180 1 Claim. (Cl. 1201) This invention relates to dictatingapparatus and is particularly directed to an arrangement whereby asecretary may control a dictating machine while taking direct dictation.

Direct dictation to a secretary is invariably slow, subject to frequentinterruption and often being inaccurate depending upon the efliciency ofthe person involved. Dictating machines have come into wide use in anattempt to speed matters, but these are not always satisfactory in thatcomplex material cannot usually be dictated in final form, revision isnot always easy, the instruments often provide poor reproduction, andrecords may become damaged or accidentally erased.

The present invention provides an arrangement whereby a person maydictate to a secretary who has complete and efficient control of bothstenographic and machine recording, so that one may be checked againstor supplement the other, and it is a major object of the invention toprovide for such purpose a novel combination writing instrument holderand switching device adapted to be held in one hand by the secretarytaking direct dictation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel writinginstrument holder in the form of a stiff tube for containing a writinginstrument, the tube being adapted to retain a pencil, pen or the likein writing position when held in the hand of the secretary, and the tubealso carrying electrical switching means connected for controlling anassociated dictating machine, so that the secretary may selectively takedirect dictation and record on the machine.

Other objects of the invention comprise details of such a novel writinginstrument holder contributing to efliciency and ease of operation, suchas friction means in the tube for retaining the pen or pencil andvarious switch structures.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceedsin connection with the appended claim and the annexed drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a generally perspective view illustrating an embodiment ofthe invention;

FIGURES 2 and 3 are views in elevation showing different forms ofwriting implement holders;

FIGURE 4 shows the invention as applied to a portable type dictatingmachine having an incorporated microphone; and

FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate, mainly in section, two other forms ofwriting instrument holders.

FIGURE 1 shows a conventional type ofiice dictating machine 10 whereinthe recording belt drive driving mechanism and the recording headassembly therein have the control Wires therefor enclosed in a commonflexible cable 11 extending to a handpiece. This type of machine usuallyis portable but may be energized from the usual 110 volt room circuit bya suitable plug-in cable (not shown).

In the conventional ofiice-type dictating machine this handpiececontains a microphone and switching means, so that the person dictatingand holding the handpiece can talk into the microphone, while switchingthe machine on during dictation and off when not dictating.

The present invention, in the FIGURE 1 embodiment, does away with thehitherto conventional handpiece operated by the person dictating, and inplace thereof provides at the end of the cable 11 a special handpiece 12adapted to be held by a secretary or stenographer receiving dictation.

Handpiece 12 comprises a hollow stiff plastic or metal tube 13 having aclosed perforated end section 14 mounting therein a suitable microphone15. The other end of the tube 13 is open to receive a writing instrument16, which may be a pencil as shown or a pen, frictionally held thereinwith the marking end out. Cable 11 enters tube section 14 whereinsuitable recording head wires therefrom are connected to microphone 15and two of the control circuit wires from the cable indicated at 17extend the length of the tube to terminals of a normally open manualspring switch 18 adapted to be operated by a resiliently mounted fingerlever 19.

In operation, while the executive is dictating, the secretary holds thehandpiece 12, using her fingers to depress lever 19 and close switch 18as desired, and she is enabled to write on her pad during dictationperiods and between them. The combination of the secrctarys notes withthe recording on the belt or other record receiving media in thedictating machine 10 provides an accurate supplement and crosscheck ofthe direct dictation, enabling the secretary to type her work in finalform without questions or mistakes.

In FIGURE 2 the writing instrument holder has internal bowed leaf springelements 21 for frictionally gripping the writing instrument 16, and theswitch 22 is of the type wherein a conducting finger operated contact 23is normally held away from the terminals 24 of wires 17 by leaf springmeans 25, but may be depressed to close the switch by the fingers of thesecretary.

FIGURE 3 shows another form of friction holder for the writinginstrument in the form of a resilient rubber O-ring 26 held in a recess27 formed in the tube wall, and in this embodiment the illustratedswitch 28 has its terminal bridging contact 29 mounted on coil springs31.

Otherwise FIGURES 2 and 3 operate and are used as in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 illustrates the invention as applied to a conventional typeportable dictating machine assembly 32 containing its own batteries forpower and enclosing its microphone at the region adjacent the perforatedwall section 33. The usual manual on-ofl switch 34 operated by theperson dictating is not used, but instead a parallel control circuitcontained in flexible plugged-in auxiliary cable 35 is connected to theend of a tubular writing instrument holder 36 wherein control circuitwries 37 lead to terminals 38 of a normally open switch adapted to bebridged by the conducting end 39 of a resilient finger lever 41 anchoredat one end of the tube.

Except for the fact that the microphone is in the machine 32, thisembodiment operates like the others.

FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate a form of the invention wherein the writinginstrument 16 is used to operate the switching means for the dictatingmachine, rather than a finger operated device.

In FIGURES 5 and 6 a tube 42 is reduced at the front end to provide aretainer throat 43 of less diameter than that of writing instrument 16,and the open rear end is externally threaded at 44 to mount threadedhollow cap 45. The dictating machine control circuit wires from cable 35end in insulated terminals 46 within the cap. In FIGURE 5, a conductingcontact 47 is normally held spaced from the terminals as by spring means48. In FIGURE 6 the switch terminals 46 are adapted to be bridged by afree metal ball 49 mounted in the smaller diameter aperture 51 of apartition 52. With the tube 42 held upright in normal writing positionin FIGURE 6, ball 49 will be normally spaced from terminals 46.

In both FIGURES 5 and 6, after the pencil 16 is inserted into tube 42with its marking end protruding from throat 43, cap 45 is screwed onuntil the pencil end, here the eraser 53, just engages contact 47 orball 49 but stops just short of closing the associated switch.

During dictation, the scretary holds the instrument of FIGURE 5 or 6upright in her hand with the point of the writing instrument 16 pressedon the pad which displaces the pencil upwardly within the tube 42 toclose the dietating machine controltswitch at 46, 47 (or 46, 49) duringWriting. When she lifts the pencil from the pad the switch is openedautomatically and operation of the dictating machine stops.

It will be appreciated that the various illustrated switches and writinginstrument holding frictional devices can be interchangeably used in anyof the embodiments of the invention, and that the FIGURE 5 and 6embodiments can be used in an assembly such as FIGURE 1 wherein themicrophone may also be mounted in the cap 45.

The tubular writing implement holding and switch mounting combination ofthe invention may assume various forms and shapes withoutdeparting fromthe spirit of the invention. The tubes may be made of metal or moldedplastic, with the switch wires and contacts suitably insulated accordingto common practice.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restructive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claim are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

Dictating apparatus comprising a tubular writing instrument holderadapted to retain a writing instrument in writing position, normallyopen electrical switching means mounted on said holder, a flexibleelectrical cable attached to said holder, said cable being adapted to beconnected to a dictating machine and having control circuit wiringextending within said holder to said switching means, and a microphonemounted within said holder electrically connected to said switchingmeans.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,767,469 6/ 1930 Metznerl2042.07 2,548,478 4/1951 Kavanagh l201 X 3,064,888 11/1962 Van de Mark23564 X LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner.

